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WMOC-TV
WMOC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Monasoki’s Capital Region, licensed to Moccasins. Owned by Matthew Media, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 4 from a transmitter atop the National Center on the west side of Moccasins. WMOC maintains studios on Branson Boulevard in downtown Moccasins. History WMOC-TV signed on the air on June 27, 1947, as Monasoki’s third television station after WQTV (channel 14) in Qubee, Qubee, and WBER-TV (channel 2) in Berlin, Berlin. As a result, WMOC was affiliated with all four networks at the time – ABC, CBS, DuMont, and NBC. WMOC was owned by the Johnson family. Going along with the American stations, WMOC picked a primary affiliation with CBS, carrying the other three networks in the daytime and midnight slots. Coverage on WMOC and WBER was subpar, as they relied on relays from WQTV, which operated the sole satellite receiver in the country. Finally, in 1957, WMOC purchased its own satellite system and partnered up with WBER and several new startup stations. In 1955, DuMont closed up, leaving WMOC with three networks. Then, in 1961, CBS struck a new affiliation deal with startup WLVC in neighboring Carrollton. WMOC was able to retain its NBC and ABC affiliations, while the latter was fought over with WLVC. Because ABC was still struggling at the time, WMOC decided to make NBC its primary affiliation. In 1963, WMOC lost its ABC affiliation when WLVT-TV signed on, leaving WMOC with just NBC. WMOC was purchased by Wilson Broadcasting in 1972, which also owned WQTV in Qubee at the time. WMOC would not change much for the next two decades. In 1989, WMOC downgraded its signal from VHF to UHF to allow WEST-TV (now WWAC) sign on channel 4. In 1994, Monasoki Media agreed to purchase Wilson’s stations, including WMOC. The purchase made WMOC a locally-owned station once again, as Monasoki Media is headquartered in downtown Moccasins. At the time of its purchase, WMOC’s studio building was deteriorating rapidly and in need of a replacement. Monasoki Media decided to tear down the old studios, purchase the adjacent lot, and build a brand new state-of-the-art studio. While its studios was being reconstructed, WMOC operated out of Monasoki Media’s headquarters. In 1997, the four big television stations in the Monasoki market – ABC affiliate WLVT-TV in Louisville, CBS affiliate WLVC in Carrollton, Fox affiliate WCRF-TV in Western, and WMOC itself – agreed to all swap affiliations. WMOC decided to trade NBC for CBS. At the time, CBS was now taking a lead as the dominant network of the four. However, due to technicality issues, WMOC was stuck with a Fox affiliation from June 7 to September 21. On September 21, 1997, WMOC officially became the Capital Region’s CBS affiliate. WMOC launched its first digital signal on UHF channel 4 in 2003. In 2012, WMOC returned to broadcasting on VHF after WWAC was forced to move to a new channel allocation. In 2014, Monasoki Media sold WMOC to Matthew Media, whose owner had long been involved in the station’s operations, serving as its chief meteorologist and hosting a weekly review of the happenings at the Capitol Building. Digital channels Analog-to-digital conversion Although not mandated, WMOC-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 4, on July 27, 2011, alongside most other full-power television stations. Digital subchannels WMOC-DT2 debuted on April 12, 2005, as the independent channel Moccasins TV. For four years, Moccasins TV broadcasted programming exclusively geared at people who lived in Moccasins. Part of this was broadcasting nearly every city council meeting both live and tape-delay. On May 14, 2009, Moccasins TV affiliated with the new classic movie diginet This TV. As part of the transition, Moccasins TV began to expand its audience to include most regions of WMOC-TV’s viewing area. Despite the changes, WMOC’s owner Monasoki Media decided to keep the branding, as the branding had become commonplace with not only the citizens of Moccasins but with people in the general area. On August 17, 2014, Moccasins TV ended its affiliation with This TV. Moccasins TV continued airing classic movies while adding classic television shows as well. On September 4, 2014, WMOC-TV launched a third digital subchannel on channel 4.3. The channel carried the 24/7-weather channel MOCA 4 Weather Network. Later that month, on September 27, Moccasins TV affiliated with Me-TV after struggling to gain rights with then-affiliate WMHF-DT2 (channel 16.2) in Sara (Eventually, WMHF would end up with This TV after it aired on WLVT-DT2 in Louisville for a short period). The next month, on November 11, WMOC-DT3 rebranded to DopplerMAX Weather Network to reflect the new Doppler radar system installed by WMOC’s new owner, Matthew Media, to cover weather for sister station WMTN-TV in Matthews and half-sister station non-profit WMLT-TV in Legotown and Matthews.